When I was in middle school all I knew about college came from UCLA and USC posters I saw hanging on the wall. I thought college was where you automatically go right after high school, where you get something called a “degree,” and then got a job. I had no idea how expensive it would be and how many different universities there were. All I knew was that I had to go.

Odd girl outThe cool kids didn’t accept Charmaine, 18, but she finally found a group that did.